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Six new Christmas word patterns have been added to the Stitching Cards collection.

They feature “Happy Christmas” with snowflakes, “Happy Holidays” with a candy cane, “Love, Peace and Joy” with bells, “Merry Christmas” with three candles, “Peace on Earth” with a dove and “Seasons Greetings” with a village snow scene.

The patterns are available individually and in a value pack of all six designs. The pattern size is 152 mm x 104 mm (6 x 4½ inches).

The Value pack can be found on the following web page:
http://www.stitchingcards.com/product.php/418/

The individual Christmas word patterns are in the Christmas section at:
http://www.stitchingcards.com/section.php/6/1/

A fawn and squirrel pattern has been added to the Stitching Cards collection. It makes a great birthday card for animal lovers, particularly if they like wild life. It can also be used for congratulations, thank you and other messages.

The pattern size is 152 mm x 104 mm (6 x 4½ inches).

The fawn and squirrel pattern can be found on the following web page:
http://www.stitchingcards.com/product.php/411/fawn-and-squirrel

Six new garden patterns have been added to the Stitching Cards collection.

There is an apple tree, a bird bath, a grapevine, a hanging basket, a rose bush and a scarecrow. These make beautiful greetings cards for birthdays and to send messages such as thank you, best wishes, good luck or invitation.

The patterns are available individually and in a value pack of all six designs. The pattern size is 152 mm x 104 mm (6 x 4½ inches).

The Value pack can be found on the following web page:
http://www.stitchingcards.com/product.php/410/

The individual garden patterns are in the flower section at:
http://www.stitchingcards.com/section.php/3/1/

The full range of Form-A-Lines stitching patterns have now been added to the Form-A-Lines download store. Patterns that were previously only available in printed booklets are now available to purchase as downloads.

The Form-A-Lines download store now includes all of the current Form-A-Lines patterns plus those that are out of print. There are over 200 patterns to choose from including Christmas, flowers, celebrations and for men.

If you prefer printed booklets these are available from our stockists. They are also available in kit form from the Card Inspirations website for delivery in the UK.

The illustration shows the Form-A-Lines Flower Ovals Set of Patterns.

The following stitching card patterns have been added to the Form-A-Lines Classics collection:

Christmas 6 Set
Christmas 10 Set
Christmas 11 Set
Christmas 12 Set
Christmas 14 Set
Flower Set

The Form-A-Lines Classics store specialises in out of print patterns from the Form-A-Lines stitching card range. Patterns are supplied as PDF files. Download them to your computer on completion of purchase.

Tacketing is a type of stitching that was used on the covers of medieval ledgers and books. It was a decorative way of securing the spine during the bookbinding process. It can be done with bookbinders thread or leather strips. In the latter case it resembles lacing. Blog reader Beth Morton told us how she was introduced to craft of tacketing by demonstrator Chela Metzger, at the The Austin Book Arts February Meetup.

Beth told us: “This type of stitching is often referred to as a lost art and some scholars are attempting to recreate the stitching patterns”. Beth has sent us a picture taken at the meeting (shown above-right), a larger version, plus more pictures, can be seen at the Austin Book Arts website.

If you would like to research the subject further there are more designs shown at Lacing and Tacketing.

Three garden gnome patterns and three fairy patterns have been added to the Stitching Cards collection.

There is a gnome fishing, a gnome sleeping and a gnome with wheelbarrow. These make amusing cards for garden enthusiasts and would be suitable for birthdays, retirements and other messages.

A fairy standing, a fairy kneeling and a fairy leaping are combined with Art Nouveau inspired roses. They make beautiful cards for many occasions, especially for young girls.

The patterns are available individually and in a value pack of all six designs. The pattern size is 152 mm x 104 mm (6 x 4½ inches).

A curve stitching calendar project suitable for 7 to 10 year olds has been added to the Tutorials section of the Stitching Cards website. The project was created by my daughter Sonya, who is a primary school teacher, as part of a practical day held at the end of school term prior to Christmas.

This is probably the wrong time of year to make a calendar but is something to keep in mind for later in the year. It makes a wonderful gift for children to give to their parents.

The design is based on the pattern illustrated in the “From string art to stitching cards: a brief history” article, also in the Techniques section. The simple pattern is marked up with a pencil and ruler so will help children practice measuring skills and demonstrate how a curve can be created by a number of straight lines. It is stitched with knitting wool and a large darning needle so is suitable for youngish children.

An attractive curve stitching design that creates a heart within a circle has been added to the free pattern section of the Pinbroidery website. The illustration shows the design stitched in confetti pink thread. The pattern size is 120 mm x 120 mm (4¾ x 4¾ inches).

The design is a scaled down version of a mathematical pattern that I created for my String Art Fun website. If you are interested in creating pictures with nails and string then you can download the free string art heart circle pattern there.

Please let me have your thoughts on this geometric design. Is this the kind of design you are interested in? Would you like to see more? Let us know in a comment to this blog.

Just in time for your Valentine’s Day cards, the Form-A-Lines Heart Set has been added to the Classic patterns collection. This beautiful set has three patterns: Flower hearts, Heart and roses, Heart lock with key. These heart patterns also make gorgeous cards for anniversaries and other special occasions. The patterns are also available individually.

This Classics store specialises in out of print patterns from the Form-A-Lines stitching card range. Patterns are supplied as PDF files. Download them to your computer on completion of purchase.